


Bud like you

by trubenblack



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: (Barely mentioned but just in case), Animals, Cats, Fluff, M/M, Neilmas2019, Nightmares and Panic attacks (Mentioned without detail), Past Child Abuse, Support dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 09:47:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17526428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trubenblack/pseuds/trubenblack
Summary: The evolution of Neil and his relationship with animals___Neilmas day five: Animals and Neil





	Bud like you

Neil Josten had never had an animal as a child. Although the butcher had considered getting a guard dog for a while it had never been something he had followed through with. Lola had had a dog for a while, a Rottweiler she spoiled rotten that hated all people except Nathan’s inner circle. Neil had made sure not to be around the house but instead stayed in his room where possible if the dog was around, but if he was honest that was no different from when Lola was around in general, with or without the dog.

 

Whilst on the run in Germany, their neighbor an old woman by the name of Susan had a tiny fluff ball called Greta. The woman doted on Neil and on the dog and would often invite Neil in for cakes. Neil had never had the heart to tell her he wasn’t a huge fan of cakes so he had sat on the couch stroking the fluff-ball as Susan had told him about her life and her late husband. Greta was a happy dog, always willing to play and never mean spirited, she was the first dog Neil met that wasn’t aggressive, as he had only met Lola’s dog before. He had once mentioned to Susan that he had only met mean dogs before and she shook her head sadly before looking him in the eye.

 

“The only time an animal wishes harm upon someone is if their owners wish harm upon others. No animal is born evil, dogs want to please their owners more than anything and cats are selfish bastards but that’s part of their charm Alex.”

 

That comment had stuck with him his whole life. When he was in France his neighbor had owned a Rottweiler, which had terrified him originally, until the Rottweiler had given him a goofy grin and rolled over to ask for a tummy scratch. At this point, he had realized Susan hadn’t been lying or making things up. This Rottweiler with a very fitting name of Fufu, was the kindest thing, she used to go for runs with Neil and would beg with big brown eyes when the Neighbor gave Neil food when his mother was out late doing whatever she would do, usually meetings with people she knew to help her make new ID’s for the two of them.

 

In their brief stay in Boston, Neil befriended a stray cat who he would sneak food to and in return the cat would come up to him and nudge at him until he gave her scratches and even cuddles. She was black and white, her face split in half by the colors and she liked to have her lower back scratched in just the right spot. Neil had been heartbroken when he had to leave that apartment, he’d hugged Angie, as he had named her, to himself and cried as she pawed at his face and meowed in question. He’d never forgotten her, although she hadn’t technically been a pet she had been his, he told Andrew about her eventually as time went on, he’d never quite gotten over her loss. His mother hadn’t been kind about it either. Attachment of any kind was not permitted, human or animal. He had broken the rules and the bruises had shown what happened to boys who break rules.

 

 When his mother had died and he had moved to Milport, Hernandez had had a dog that he brought to practices with him. Neil was much better at getting along with the dog, named Tony, than he was at getting along with his teammates or humans in general. Part of Hernandez’ soft spot for Neil probably came from how well Neil got along with his dog. The only time Neil had ever felt afraid of the retriever was when he was woken up in the locker room by a giant dog licking his face, but as soon as the dog noticed his fear it backed up and whimpered. Neil had once again been reminded of Susan’s comment, remembering a point where Hernandez had reacted almost the same (minus whimper) when Neil had flinched at his shoulder being grabbed. He still thought of Tony sometimes, he hadn’t been in Milport long enough to make the same sort of bond he’d had with Angie but he still remembered the comfort of his soft fur after the Milport team had lost a game or the way his tongue hung out of his mouth happily as he bounded after Neil on the Exy court.

 

The foxes had no pets as they lived in college, but Nicky did get a longhaired hamster for a short amount of time before Wymack found out about it and Abby took it. Neil wasn’t a huge fan of hamsters, they didn’t smell great and they weren’t like cats or dogs in their way of showing affection, or at least, this one wasn’t. Luckily though Abby did not feel the same way and loved Princess (Nicky named her) more than Nicky had if that was possible. She often let her wander around the living room and princess would sit on Abby’s shoulder as she read at night. Although Nicky was originally upset he saw how much joy Princess brought Abby and wasn’t too heartbroken as it did mean he didn’t have to look after anybody but himself which was much cheaper.

 

The cats were a bit of an accident if Neil was honest with himself. It was the end of Andrew’s fifth year when he saw a box on the side of the road and a noise coming from it. Now of course the sensible thing that a younger him would have done is to get as far away from a box that makes noise as possible, but Neil had always been an idiot so he made his way over to it. Inside were two kittens, who looked at him and immediately started mewing plaintively. Neil looked around trying to find where they had come from but there was nobody around, he’d been running a long circuit that had taken him out of town and they had clearly been dumped. They looked up at him with eyes that were too big for their faces and he just couldn’t leave them there, he wasn’t heartless.

 

That was how he ended up walking into his and Andrew’s dorm with a wriggling shirt from two kittens. Andrew of course realized straight away.

 

“You look like you have a growth take whatever is in your shirt out.”

 

“Thanks Drew glad to know I'm still dating a dick.”

 

“I’ve never heard complaints before.” Andrew raised his eyebrow and Neil huffed out a laugh before pulling the cats out and putting them on the bed comforter. They let out little mews as Andrew made his way over.

 

“Neil, what are these?”

 

“They were on the side of the road and I just couldn’t leave them there they’re just babies.”

 

“Neil-“

 

“No wait before you say no just listen I’ll do everything for them Drew they don’t have a mom they need someone to look after them.” Neil knew he was whining but this was really important okay? He gave Andrew _the look_ because he knew it would work, Andrew also knew it would work as he scowled at Neil.

 

“Fine but keep them away from me.”

 

Neil’s grin could have lit up the whole world and Neil was positive Andrew heard him telling the cats that Andrew was just a grump but would love them anyways because his ears were pink as he walked away.

 

Keeping the cats hidden hadn’t been as hard as Neil had expected, they both didn’t really like other humans except for Neil and Andrew and tended to take off and hide at any loud noise. The Foxes were a single moving ball of loud noise, so if they did enter the dorm for any reason, there was no worry about the cats appearing. Andrew had taken to calling the cats Cat 1 and Cat 2 but Neil asked a hypothetical question to Nicky about what he would think Andrew’s two cats would be called if he had them. Nicky had been joking when he said King Fluffikins and Sir Fatcat McCatterson but Neil was not when he told Andrew that these were now their names. The silent treatment he received for the next two days was _absolutely_ worth it.

 

When Andrew moved out, the cats went with him, as much as Neil wanted to keep them with him, it was unlikely he would have a room all to himself, plus as much as he wouldn’t admit it, Andrew needed company. Although he grumbled about it, Andrew was grateful for the cats, Neil saw how much they did help him when Andrew was going through a bad day and one of the cats started yelling for food. Where Andrew would usually not make himself food or eat or even move on bad days, having to look after something else meant that the habit of feeding himself after feeding them would kick in. It kept him safe when Neil wasn’t around, so Neil spoiled them rotten in gratitude when he was around, Andrew’s apartment looked more like a hotel for cats than he would like to admit, but Neil definitely saw toys that he did not buy for them, so it was clear Andrew liked it that way. 

 

The cats thrived even more when they moved in together, a bigger apartment to sniff about and two humans to dote on them; it was their dream come true. Unfortunately for them after about a year another big change happened. As Andrew and Neil became more settled there was the unfortunate side effect of the nightmares that plagued them both. The bad days started to get worse before they got better, three times a week one or both of them would be out of it and exhausted and jumpy. After about a month of this, Bee made a suggestion, which led to a life changing decision.

 

They got a support dog.

 

She was a pit-bull that Andrew had picked out; Neil named her Angie in memory of his long lost friend. She was a ball of energy, always excited to go for a run with them. She slept at the end of the bed as neither of their legs reached that far anyways and she was incredibly good with Andrew especially. When his nightmares were bad enough that he’d bolt up in a panic, human touch would be the last thing he needed. A cold dog nose to his wrist would be the last thing he expected, dragging him out of the panicked memories he couldn’t escape by himself. When Neil would have a panic attack, he’d have Andrew’s hand on his neck and an insistent dog licking at his face.

 

It’s very hard to panic when a dog is licking your nose.

 

Angie and the cats slowly learned to get along, the cats were skittish but they were not against curling up with her at the end of the bed. Nicky sometimes joked that he would never have imagined Andrew living in a zoo which Neil had to admit the house did feel like sometimes when all three animals were feeling playful. But they were safe, Andrew and Neil and their little family, as the two men grew old together and loved each other, they got to experience the love for and from their animals. It was a kind of domesticity they would never have expected to have. The nightmares had faded, they rarely happened anymore, the soft snuffles from the dog and the purrs from the cats helped to center the men before they went to sleep.

 

And watching Andrew drink his morning coffee with a cat around his shoulders and a hand scratching behind his dog’s ears, well that was a blessing Neil would never take for granted.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!! please leave comments and Kudos, I've been reading all your lovely comments on my fics and they all make me so happy.   
> Thank you for reading :)


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